Protection of civilians . compliance . accountability

Weapons Law and the Conduct of the Legal Review of Weapons Course

The Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) is now accepting applications for this year’s “Weapons Law and the Conduct of the Legal Review of Weapons Course”, which will be held at the GCSP in Geneva from 8 to 12 December 2014.

This course is designed to provide lawyers, diplomats and other officials, either currently involved or likely to be involved in legal weapons reviews and/or other weapons related issues, with the necessary understanding to ensure their State’s compliance with the law.

The course is directed by Air Commodore (ret) Dr William Boothby, formerly Deputy Director of the Royal Air Force Legal Services (UK) and currently Associate Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Other lecturers include: Professor Wolff Heintschel von Heinegg, Professor of Public Law, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt; Ms Kathleen Lawand, Head of Arms Unit, Legal Division, International Committee of the Red Cross; and Dr Nils Melzer, Senior Programme Advisor and Senior Fellow, Emerging Security Challenges Programme, GCSP.

Course topics include:

Defining Weapons, Means and Methods of Warfare

The Evolution and Sources of Weapons Law

Unnecessary Suffering and Indiscriminate Weapons

Weapons and the Environment

Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons

Missiles, Bombs, Firearms and Bullets

New Weapons Technologies

Participation Requirements

The course does not assume any particular level of knowledge of, or previous experience in international law or the law of armed conflict.

The course will be held in English. No translation will be provided.

Applications (a Biography and a Cover Letter) should be submitted by 15 October 2014 at the latest to Ms Anne-Caroline Pissis Martel (a.pissis@gcsp.ch ).